Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 31
There have been some worrisome reports of the prevalence of the feared Japanese Encephalitis virus in Dimapur and a number of cases are said to be confirmed. Since the past one month about 15 to 16 patients suspected to be suffering from the illness were admitted into Zion Hospital & Research Centre, Dimapur.
According to a doctor attached with the hospital, four persons have already succumbed to complications suspected to be caused by the virus. He said that of the five blood samples taken by the government, which were send to Delhi for laboratory tests, four were confirmed positive. At present there are two such cases in the hospital, he said. One patient who was diagnosed to be carrying the virus however responded well to treatment and was discharged from the hospital, said another doctor.
Most of the reported cases are from Dimapur, it is learned, and with cases coming in from other districts as well. Doctors were of the view that necessary preventive measures such as ‘fogging’ are a must to contain its outbreak especially in Dimapur. Japanese Encephalitis is transmitted through the bite of culex mosquitoes.
The directorate of Health & Family Welfare (NVBDCP Cell), Kohima in a note today also brought to the notice of the public that “some cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) are prevalent in Dimapur.” Necessary preventive measures as such have been taken up by the department to contain the spread of the disease, the department assured.
How to detect
Common symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis:
• Headache, fever, disorientation, coma
• Tremors, paralysis (generalized) loss of coordination
• Association with neurological complications leading to death
• All age groups and both sexes are affected; death occur more in children.
How JE is transmitted?
• Pigs play a huge role as the JE virus multiplies in the pig without suffering from the disease for a prolonged period.
• Mosquitoes transmit the virus from pigs carrying it to humans through its bite.
• It is not transmitted from human to human like malaria and other vector disease.
What you can do?
• Adopt protection measures by using insecticide treated bed nets.
• Introduce larvivorous fish in water bodies.
• All stagnant water collection should be filled up
• Keep your surrounding clean and dry
• Avoid sleeping near pigsties.
• Children detected with high fever should be immediately taken to the nearest hospital
